Country mallow also referred to by its scientific name Sida cordifolia Linn is a long-lived herbaceous plant belonging to the Malvaceae family. The plant is native to Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and India and grows in all the places in Rajasthan. You find it in French Polynesia, southern United States, New Guinea, Australia, Africa, and the Hawaiian Islands. In India Sida cordifolia Linn is commonly known as Bala, which is widely used in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine in India and various other countries for immunity. Few of the popular common names of the plant are bala, country mallow, flannel sida, flannel weed, flannelweed, heart leaf sida, heartleaf sida, Indian country mallow, sida, white burr, Ilima and Ailima.

Ayurveda has mentioned Country mallow as brmhaniya, a bulk promoting herb. Maharishi Charaka mentions Country mallow as a rejuvenative to muscle tissue and muscular system. The name ‘bala’ is said to be traditionally connected to Sida cordifolia (aka North Indian bala), S. alnifolia (also known as South Indian bala) and S. rhombifolia, the name is also shared by several other species of Sida as well as other unrelated taxa. The entire plant is covered with soft white felt-like hair that is responsible for one of its common names, “flannel weed”.

Plant Description

Country mallow is an erect, velvety upright and long-lived herbaceous plant or small undershrub that grows about 50 to 200 cm (20 to 79 in) tall but occasionally reaches up to 2 m in height. The plant is found growing along roadsides, sandy sea coasts, wastelands, slopes, sandy localities, waste grounds, fallow fields, forest paths, forest clearings, pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, crops, roadsides, disturbed sites, gardens, footpaths, parks in tropical, sub-tropical and sometimes also semi-arid environments. Normally the plant prefers a lighter and sandy soil. Root is 5-15 cm long with few lateral roots of smaller size. Tap roots are generally branched at the tip, outer surface of the root is off to grayish yellow, odorless with slightly bitter taste.

Stems and Leaves

Stems are commonly slender and quite wiry, but occasionally they can be slightly woody in nature. Stems and leaves are densely covered in soft whitish-colored hairs that give them a felty texture.

Leaves are alternately arranged and are borne on stalks (i.e. petioles) 1-6 cm long. Leaf blades are 3.5 to 7.5 cm (1.4 to 3.0 in) long by 2.5 to 6 cm (0.98 to 2.36 in) wide and are heart-shaped (i.e. cordate) or occasionally broadly egg-shaped in outline (i.e. broadly-ovate). They usually have rounded tips (i.e. obtuse apices) and toothed (i.e. crenate or serrate) margins. Leaves are velvety on both surfaces, mixed with simple hairs on the nerves beneath.

Flowers and Fruit

Flowers are densely clustered in the upper leaf forks (i.e. axils) or at the tips of the stems. They are borne on short stalks (i.e. peduncles) 2-4 mm long that elongate slightly as the fruit mature. Each flower has five yellow to pale orange petals that are 8-10 mm long, which often have a dark orange spot near their bases. Bases of the five sepals are somewhat fused together into a tube (i.e. calyx tube), with ten lengthwise ribs and five lobes (6-7 mm long). Flowering occurs throughout most of the year, but is most apparent from August to December.

Fertilized flowers are followed by loculicidal capsule that is 3-8 mm across and about 3 mm high. Fruits are initially green and become dark-brown and separate into 8-10 one-seeded segments (i.e. mericarps) when fully mature. 2-2.5 mm long, wedge shaped seeds are dark brown and topped with two long slender awns that is 2.5-3.5 mm long that has tiny backwards-pointing (i.e. retrorse) barbs.

Health benefits of Country Mallow

Listed below are few of the popular health benefits of using Country mallow

1. Respiratory tract infections

Preparations of the Sida cordifolia prove beneficial for treating infections of the upper respiratory tract. You can get relief for cold, flu, bronchial asthma, swine flu, nasal congestion and wheezing. Prepare the tea with the Sida cordifolia and have this twice a day until the symptoms ease.

2. Relief from pain

You can get relief from sciatica pain with the use of Country Mallow. Drink the infusion of the leaves twice a day for best relief. You can use it for all kinds of nerve pain and nerve inflammation.

3. Treatment for weight loss

If you begin to lose weight without reason, you can cure it using the Sida cordifolia. Have the infusion of the leaves and roots early in the morning on an empty stomach, and you will stop losing weight.

4. Good for cancer patients

Plant extract proves beneficial for speeding up the treatment of cancer patients. You can use it both before and after the chemotherapy to help improve the condition of the patient.

5. Allergy treatment

For people suffering from various kinds of allergies, the infusion of the Country Mallow proves useful. It delays the onset of the allergy and helps cure the symptoms through constant application.

6. Disease of the throat

You can cure many throat diseases by gargling in the morning with the infusion of the Country Mallow plant. It fights the pathogens and makes the mouth clean

7. Help for urinary infections

By applying the paste of the leaves of the plant directly to the genitals, you can get relief from infections of the urinary tract. Drink the decoction to speed up the process.

8. Treat erectile dysfunction

People can treat erectile dysfunction by having the infusion of the Sida cordifolia morning and night. This will help improve the health of the patient by acting on the nerves and making it healthy.

Traditional uses and benefits of Country mallow

Plant is used in curing asthma by applying paste made with whole plant, pepper and garlic over the body.

Country mallow exhibits Anti-inflammatory properties. This property is beneficial in treating Arthritis and Joint Pain.

Bala is applied externally to reduce the swelling of wounds.

It is effective in curing Inflammation of the Eyes.

It calms the nervous system and provides relief from anxiety.

It improves the functioning of the nervous system by increasing Blood Circulation.

Country mallow oil is used to massage persons suffering from paralysis, cervical spondylosis, and facial paralysis.

It is powerful in curing male infertility. It increases sperm motility and sperm count.

Expressed juice of the whole plant is useful in premature ejaculation.

Sida cordifolia is diuretic in nature and rejuvenates the Urinary system.

It is a Blood purifier and Coagulant and alleviates bleeding disorders.

It improves the Serum functioning. Serum provides nourishment to the blood cells and boosts healing power of the body.

It cures weakness.

An Infusion made of Bala leaves is used for curing Fever.

Prepare a paste of the leaves and apply it locally to treat elephantiasis.

Juice of the whole plant is beneficial for spermatorrhoea, rheumatism, and gonorrhea.

Plaster made up of Bala, Jatamansi, Amalaki and Kushtha is applied to hair to promote the growth of hair.

It is a plant used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation of the oral mucosa, blennorrhea, asthmatic bronchitis and nasal congestion, stomatitis, of asthma and nasal congestion.

3.5 to 7.5 cm (1.4 to 3.0 in) long by 2.5 to 6 cm (0.98 to 2.36 in) wide, usually ovate, some what round, or lanceshaped, rounded or slightly heart-shaped at base, pointed at the tip, with toothed margins. Leaves are velvety on both surfaces, mixed with simple hairs on the nerves beneath.